River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-06-30
CAPTURE BY INDIANS.

Old Massy HARRISON was a frequent Wis
I itor of scores of farm houses and vii
/ lagos up and down the river. She wa,
/ tall. staiwart, and resolute; in her fac,
were lines that told of suflerings ant
hardship, and her activity, even in hei
old age, proved her TO be woman Of
more than ordinary physical vigor
Her business, while upon her frequent
! Journeys, was the sale of small book
IA narrative of her own life. and one
of the most remarkable histories that
the annals of savage warefare ever orig
mated
Massey Harbison's descendants still
live in Buffalo Township, Butler Coun-
~. ahd "A few yeats ago two of her child
rem were living in Allegheny County
not many miles from the spot where
the ludilrs captured her and two OF
her children IN the 22d OF May. 1892
Her strange history, briefly summarized
is ~ follows:
Massey HARRISON was born in Somer-
set County, New Jersey, in 1870 She
was the daughter of Edward White. a
revolutionary soldier, who settled near
Brownsville,on the Monongahel;l River.
in 1888. In 1877 she was married ia
John HARRISON After peace with the
Indians he settled in what is now the
edge of Butler County. where he built
a mill OH Buffalo Greek. He died in
1922.
HARRISON and his family were
pioneers in the vicinity of Freeport in
1871. In March of that year a number
murders aud captures by the Indians
of settlers in that vicinity caused the
remainder to organize for protection.
A block house was erected on the
Allegheny River mile below the
mouth of the Kiskiminetas. and OPP
posite the site of Freeport. Here
several families spent the sum
mer IN safety Meantime John
10 son enlisted in Captain
Guthrie'S company and went to
fight the Indians. Late in Decem-
Der he returned to the block house,
bearing an ugly wound which he had
received at the scene of St Glars de
feat. Recovering from his injury in
the following March, he enlisted as a
SPY and was ordered to the woods
The inhabitants of the block house.
having long been undisturbed, and be-
lieveing that the spy system would
protect them. left the station and seat
tered To their cabins. That in which
Mrs. HARRISON lived was within 200
yards of the block house. and was
frequently visited by her husband and
other spies. who came to secure food
and lodging. On the Dist of May,
1872, two spies, Davis and Sutton.
came to HARRISON : to stay over night
At daylight they arose and went out to
the block house, leaving Mrs. Harbi-
son still abed i'm the cabin. She was
awakened by the noise they made, and
noticed that they left the door open.
She intended to Get up and faSten it.
bat fell asleep. DAVIS returned. fasten-
ed the door, and went back to the
block house. while Mrs. HARRISON and
hor three children were still sumbering
She was aroused by being dragged
forcibly from the bed, aud awoke to
hnd the house fun of Indians. Her
narrative says: Every Indian held his
Ia i,gt l.
la his right Bcholding the dangerous
situation in which then was, jumped
to the floor upon my feet, with the
Young child i'm my arms. She made
an effort 10 dress herself, but the In
dianS took every article away from her
as soon as she touched it, While she
was struggling for clothing having on
in which she had slept-the savages
plundercd the cabin, and made cap
tives of the two little boys, aged five
and three years. Next they forced Mrs.
HARRISON with her babe in her arms, 10
leave the cabin with them. The elder
boy they led by the hand, the Younger
one ran into the house and cried pititul-
him by the heels. and dashed his brains
out against the doorSill aud then scalp
cd him.
The party which made the capture
numbered thirty-two. of whom two
were white men painted as Indians
After proceeding a short distance they
stole the horses of John Currie, Mrs.
4 a..
IN, took charge of the captives, the re-
mainder going in another direction.
After trying in vain to make the horses,
with their double loads, swim the river
they left them behind and took their
prisoners over to an island in a canoe.
As soon rs they landed the t'v" ear-old
boy. who was crying over the fate of
his little brother. was tomahawed and
-calped. The mother fell fainting to
the ground and remained unconscious
for some time. Partially reviving. she
glanced around, saw the bleeding scalp
of her child, and again sank down.
The next that she knew she was being
beaten 10 make her arise.
From the island the sayages led their
liilNbitiS NOW ititWttu ~ iNOs iHt
mother aud babe-to the north side of
the Allegheny. wadiug across in shall
low place They proceeded onward
across the Buffalo and the Consequences
ing creeks and at nightcame to Il camp
ut the saltlick within two miles of where
Butler now stands The woman's arms
were pinioncd behind her back; she was
seated on blanket between the two
savagcs, and in that position wore away
the long hours of the first night of her
The next night the Indians and their
eaptives occupied another camp not far
from the first On the morning of the
third day one of the savages left the camp
and the other fell ASLEEP. Massy Har-
bison then made her escape, after taking
from the stuff which they had stolen at
her house a dress for herself and child
She first proceeded in direction away
from her home. in order to mislead
them. then turning around walked rs
rapidly as possible until O'Clock in
the afternoon, when her suiferings from
fatigue and hunger compelled her to
rest until the next day. She had
neither shoes nor stockings upon her
feet. which were terribly lacerated and
bruised by thorns and rocks.
In the evening of the following day
the cries of her child came near bring
ing about her recapture. She crept in
~ tho toms of a FALLEN trpp and an In